This phrase refers to publications that discover the purported use of quilts as coded maps or alerts aiding enslaved folks escaping to freedom through a community of protected homes and routes within the nineteenth century. These books typically current patterns and meanings attributed to quilt designs, suggesting they served as a clandestine communication technique throughout the Underground Railroad. For instance, a particular sample would possibly point out a protected home, route, or essential provides.
The subject material has gained vital cultural and historic curiosity, contributing to discussions about African American historical past, textile arts, and the ingenuity displayed in resisting oppression. Whereas the historic accuracy of quilts functioning as a widespread, deliberate code is debated by historians, these publications spark curiosity within the period and immediate additional exploration of resistance efforts. Additionally they spotlight the significance of oral custom and the enduring energy of storytelling in shaping our understanding of the previous.